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(No Model.)

S. W. BONSALL. DRESS SKIRT AND WARDROBB TRUNK.

No. 604,346. Patented Mayl', 1898.

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(No Model.)

` 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. S. W. BONSALL. DRESS SKIRT AND WARDROBE TRUNK.

Patented May 17,1898.

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s. W. BONSALL. DRESS SKIRT AND WARDROBE TRUNK.

Patented 'May 1'7, 1898.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SEYMOUR W. BONSALL, OF VNEW YORK, N. Y.

DRESS-SKIRT AND WARDROBE TRUNK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 604,346, dated May 17, 1898.

Applicatioiled October 20,1897. Serial No. 655,86 7. (No model.)

.Toy all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, SEYMOUR W. BONSALL, of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Ladies Dress- Skirt and Wardrobe Trunks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the drawings accompanying this specification. r

My invention relates to an improved device y in which ladies dress-skirts and other garments can safely be carried without crushing l men, importing dressmakers and ladies tailors, ladies who wish to visit health or pleasf nre resorts with an extensive wardrobe in as r compact and safe a receptacle as possible, actresses, vpeople of small means boarding where closet-room is not available, and, in fact, to all those who desire economy of room, easy access to any desired article, safety from dirt or dampness incurred by removing clothing from a trunk and hanging it on hooks about a room or in a musty closet with no lock on the door, lessened labor of packing and unpacking, saving of injury to apparel, ease with which all articles therein contained may be displayed at once, and avoidance of continually lifting out trays and rumpling many articles while seeking for one.

One portion of my device --namely, the hanger-is useful as well in a fixed closet or Wardrobe as in a trunk, and I have claimed the same aside from a trunk in the claims hereof.

Referring now to the drawings, Figure l represents in perspective my invention set on end with the top half of the cover thrown back against the wall or resting against the swell of the upper rounded end, the lower half of the cover lying flat on the floor, the cords which normally confine the dresses untied, and the rack on which the garments are hung pulled forward to allow ready access to any desired garment. Fig. 2 represents a cross -section of the trunk, taken lapproximately on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3. This view shows clearly the two rounded sides, the rounded end, the flat end, and the garments in dotted lines. Fig. 3 represents a view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2 with all the garments removed. This view shows the staples to which the confining-cords are attached, the manner in which my sliding frame is hung, and the flat topv and bottom of the ntrunk. Fig. 4 is a view taken on the line l 4 of Fig. 2. This shows in particular the garments (in this case dress-skirts) hung in position and confined by the cords attached to the back staples. The view also shows in dotted lines the rack pulled forward, the cords untied, and the garments in position for immediate service. Fig. 5 is a detail of the outer and upper corner of the sliding rack, showing the hinged leg or prop which also serves to prevent the garments coming in contact with the lid or cover. Fig. 6 is a detailed view in plan and elevation of my hanger.

In all views similar letters of reference represent similar parts ofmy invention.

Mypreferred form of invention has the fiat cover or lid A, the flat bottom B, thetwo similarly roundedl or fiattened conoidal sides C O, the iat end D, and the rounded or flattened conoidal end E. Asbest shown in Fig'. 2, the surfaces O O and E, which are` rounded on the outside, are flat on the inside, so that the inside of myinvention is a rectangular prism in form. f n

As the material, size, and particular strengthening devices-as rbs',guards,angle irons, and corner-protectors-of my device form no part of this invention, Ilshall omit all mention of them in 'my description, as they may be of any variety to suit any particular requirements. Y

The cover or lid A is composed of the two parts or iaps F and F, the former turning up and the latter turning down when the trunk has been set on end for use as a wardrobe or dress-closet. The flap F is provided with any convenient form of handle or pull f, by which it may be readily opened. Both flaps F and F are swung on any preferred form of hinges f f f and are fastened together by any desired lock or locks f" f" and are further seroo cured to the mainrvbody of the trunk or the sides C C by any reliable forni of clasp or CatChf/llflll.

On the inside of parts C C, near theend E, are placed two guides G, running from the bottom or back of the trunk B to the top or front of trunk A.. On these guides the hangerframe or sliding rack His placed, so that it may run easily back and forth when the trunk is in the position' shown in the drawings or even when lying on the bottom or back B. The han ger-frame or sliding rack I-I may be constructed of any desired material, as wood, aluminium, papier-mache, duc., and possesses any desired details as long as in plan it is rectangular in form, iits loosely into the trunk, so as to slide readily, and has the two crosspieces h v7L so spaced as to properly support the hangers I. (Shown in Fig.v 6.)

The hangers I may be of any desired form and material. My preferred form is clearly shown in' Fig. 6, and the manner in which they are used is best shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In the form which I have here shown the round bars of metal have been bent to form two sides of a right triangle at fi c', the ends stove up, upset, or merely iattened at c" t, and the tips turned down at a right angle at t" z'". Thus the hangers I can freely slide on the bars h, the garments hanging by loops from the notches 'i t, the stove up, upset, or flattened ends t t" preventing a tendency to roll, while the tips fi fi grasp the outer edges of the bars h 7L and prevent lateral movement.

At the outer end of the hanger-frame or sliding rack is the cross-bar J, against which the flap F preferably presses when closed firmly, holding said hanger-frame or sliding rack motionless no matter how roughly the trunk may be handled in transit. To the cross-bar J are secured the props or legs L L, joined near their lower ends by the strut or brace M, which holds them parallel to each other and properly spaced, so that they press lightly against the inner edges of the sides C C when the lid is closed. The props L are shown attached to the sliding frame by means of hinges K K. This is a convenient construction for some purposes, but myinvention covers any mode of attachment of the props L. The props L act in combination with the flap of the cover which lies on the floor to properly sustain the outer end of the sliding frame or hanger. It is clear that if the lowered flap were not present to afford a bearing for thelower ends of the two props these latter would either fail to hold the sliding frame horizontal or would be too long to go into the trunk. It will be seen that, as shown in the drawings, the flap that lies on the ioor is preferably made long enough to afford a bearing for the props L when the frame is pulled out to its full extent.

Near the outer ends of the guides G G are journaled the rollers N N, over which the hanger-frame or sliding rack l-I moves. Near the inner end of said hanger-frame or sliding rack the rollers N N are journaled, so as to trundle along the guides G G. Vhen the hanger-frame or sliding rack I-I has been pulled forward into the position shown 1n dotted lines in Fig. 4, the rollers N N and N' N meet and prevent further forward motion,

thus forming a perfect and elastic stop.

On the inside of the bottom or back B are fixed the staples, screw-eyes, or equivalent fastening devices O O, O O', O O, in pairs, each pair being symmetrically placed as regards the center line of B, the first or upper pair O O being spaced nearest together, and the third or lowest pair O" Ol being spaced farthest apart, so as to approximately follow the natural outline of a dress-skirt when hanging in the trunk. Elastics, tapes, ribbons, or other forms of bands P PV P are secured yat one end to said staples, the other .ends being tied by pairs in knots about the garments in the trunk, vas shown in Fig. 4, thus holding them securely in the desired folds.

In practice I set the trunk upon the dat end D, turn the flap F back and the iiap F fiat on the floor, then draw the frame II forward until the rollers N and N meet, planting the legs L firmly o n the flap F. The hangers I are all removed from the bars h, and the trunk is ready for packing.v Through the loops of a dress-skirt or any other article of apparel thus prepared I pass the end of a hanger I, letting said loops settle in the notches z' t' of said'hanger. The hanger is then passed endwise between the front of the trunk and the legs L,-when by slightly tipping said hanger it will pass up between the bars h 7L. The hanger is then lowered, horizontally held, into its place, the desired folds made in the garment, and the nextlhanger similarly treated until at the end D of the trunk the garments reach out to the legs L. The rack is pushed clear in, and the bands P are tied, when the remaining space can be filled with underclothing, handkerchiefs, and small articles in general. The trunk is then closed and locked, and as by its formation it can only be set in three positions without rolling it will be found that the clothes remain safe as packed. When the destination is reached, the trunk is set on end, as before, opened,the`small articles unpacked, the bands untied, the rack pulled out, and the hangers pulled forward, so as to leave a space between each hanger, as shown in Figs. l and 4. Any hanger can then be lifted, slightly tilted, and lowered between the bars h h, when it can readily be removed by sliding said hanger and its burden out between the garment on each side of it. All the hangers are then slightly pushed back, so as to allow space to return said garment to the front of the rack after using. Thus any garment can be selected at will, removed, and replaced without in the least disturbing the other articles of apparel. On damp days, to secure garments against thieves and to protect them from dust and dirt, one has only to slide in the rack and IOO IIO

look together the aps. When about to leave, the packing is practically done. One has only to tie the bands and place in the smaller articles.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a trunk, ax Hat top, a fiat bottom, one flat end, one rounded end and two rounded sides, substantially as described.

2. In a trunk, a dat top and bottom, one iat end, one rounded end and two rounded sides; in combination with a sliding hanger and devices adapted to suspend garments between said hanger and said fiat end.

3. In a trunk, a slide adaptedto move forward when the trunk is on one end, a prop at the forward end of said slide, and a cover-Hap and forth, said hanger-frame comprising bearing sides and intermediate supporting-bars; in combination with hangers adapted to slide on said supporting-bars and a prop for Said frame attached to its outer end.

SEYMOUR W. BONSALL.

Witnesses;

GEO. E. SCHWEINFURTH, I. G. SMITH. 

